Tubing catcher



Oct. 5 1926.

' 1,602,611 F. c. GOLQSMITH Y TUBING cATcmiiz File y 1926 '2 Sheets-Sheet l F IE.2.

gmwm awn nu Patented Oct. 5,- I926.

FRED C. GOLDSMITH, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS, ASSIGNOB TO HOUSTON, TEXAS.

w-x-n countr 01' 'runme carcrmn.

Application filed May 20,

My invention relates to tubing catchrs such as are employed on pump tubing or similar pipe to prevent its accidental falling while bein handled in the well.

5 In han ing pump tubing in deep wells, there is a danger experienced in raising or lowering the tubing from or into the well that the tubing may break or slip in the holding means and drop, and when such an accident occurs the .tubing will strike the bot: tom with such force as to bend and even break the pipe and block up the well in such manner that if the pipe cannot be gripped by some fishing tool and removed, the well is junked.

It is an object of my invention to provide a tubing catcher to be employed upon pump tubing orsimilar pipe which .will act automatically if accident occurs and grip the tubing against the well casing and prevent its dropping. It isdesired in such a device to rovide means for gripping the casing which will expand under the inertia of the gripping means when the tubing is dropped and engage the casing for the full length of the expanding means, thus preventing, mutilation of the casing or the tubing.

It is an object to construct the casing engaging means so that it will be protected while going into the well and thus avoid accidental expansion, and also to so support the pipe engaging slips or jaws that they will be held normally inward away from the casing while the device is being lowered at a normal rate of speed into the well.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the parts making up the device and attention is called to the drawing herewith wherein Fig. 1 illustrates a side elevation of my invention as applied to a well tubing, certain parts being broken away for greater clearness. Fig. 2 is an inner side elevation of one of the jaws or wickers em-- ployed withthe invention. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a transverse on the line 44 of Fig. 3. Like numerals of reference are employed to designate like parts in all the views. J

In the construction of my improved tubing catcher, I have as an object to rovide a device of few and simple arts a apted to act positively and accurate y. The body of the device comprises a section 1 of-tubing of special construction. This section is of the 1926. Serial H0. 110,390.

expanding mandrel 3. This is accomplishedby thickening the walls of the tubing 1 and. Y

in doing so the upper shoulder 4 of themandrel is flared upwardly to provide a cupshaped groove or recess for the support of' the slips or jaws 5. From the upper end of the shoulder at the mandrel is tapered downwardly to provide a tapered seat 6 upon which the gripping jaws are adapted to contact.

Below the mandrel the tubing is cylindrical, as shown at 7, and-at a point spaced slightly below the lower ends of the gripping jaws a guard ring 8 is secured, preferably by means of welding, as shown at 9. The guard 8 is a ring of metal having spaced lugs 10 thereon extending. in an upwardly flaring position, as shown in the drawings, thus .providing channels 11 between the guard lugs through which the fluid may easily pass.

The jaws 5 which constitute the casing gripping means are formed approximately cylindrical on.the outer face 12, the said cylindrical face being toothed transversely, the

teeth being inclined downwardly to better engage with the casing and form an effective gripping contact therewith. I contemplate employing a plurality of these jaws and I have shown four such jaws in the drawing. Each jaw is arcuate in shape, the inner face 13 being tapered inwardly toward the lower end to vfit against the seat 6 formed by the mandrel. The jaws are, therefore, thicker at their lower ends, the outer face adjacent the lower end being beveled at 1a to conform to! the shape of the upper face of the guard ring 8. The jaws are supported at their upper ends upon the shoulder 4 of the mandrel. The said upper end is, therefore,

extended inwardly above the pipe gripping portion to fit loosely around the pipe section above the mandrel. This sector-shaped upper end 15 is made narrower than the full width of the slip and has at each side ofthe I slip downwardly extending points or lugs 16, the inner faces of which are arcu ate in shape, the outer facebeing inclined as shown at 17 to contact with the inner shoulder 4 of the mandrel. When thus supported, it will be noted that the center of gravity ,of each ters Patent is:

jaw or slip is below and slightly outward from the point of support, indicated at 18, of the jaws. This will-tend to throw the lower end of the jaw inwardly holding it in I normal contact with the mandrel surface 6.

The jaws are held in assembled position A resting upon the upper end of the mandrel by means of a ring 19 and a circumferential groove 20 is formed in each of the jaws to receive the said ring. In order to allow free movement of the jaws in expanding the ring is materially larger in diameter than is the lower trough of the groove and to hold the ring in position on the jaws inwardly 1| extending fingers 21 are, formed at spaced intervals at each side of the groove 20 partially closing the outer opening of the groove so that the ring may be limited in its outward movement.

.0 A tubing catcher formed in the manner 18 when the tubing is accidentally dropped and as the jaws move upwardly relative to the mandrel, it will be noted that the cylindrical toothed surface will expand radially at both ends outwardl' against the inner wall of so the casing so t at the gripping surface will contact with the casing throughout its length. The ring 19 at the upper ends of the jaws will not interfere with the radial movement of the jaws relative to the mandrel. While I have spoken of the upward movement of'the jaws relative to the mandrel, it is to be understood that the action will be rather the downward movement of the mandrel relative to the jaws, for if the .40 tubing should be dropped suddenly the jaws would tend to remain in their previous position, due to the inertia of the slips and as the mandrel moves downwardly the jaws would be moved outwardly into expanding 5 position by the mandrel and .the dropping of y the tubing would be immediately checke the gripping of the jaws against the casing wedging the said jaws between the casing and the 'mandrel and holding the tubing from further downward movement. The

guard 10 tends to prevent any swinging of the jaws outwardly "through contact with any obstruction in the well and guards the obstruction from moving the jaws upwardly 5 into expanding position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Let- 1. A tubing catcher comprising a tubular mandrel ada ted to be coupled 1n a string o'ftubing, said mandrel having anu wardly flaring shoulder and being tapere down- I wardly from said shoulder, a pluralit of arcuate jaws tapered on the ir inner aces t" and resting on said tapered mandrel, and

inwardly extending lugs at the upper ends thereof engaging said flaring shoulder, whereby the center of mass of said jaws is outside the point of support of said jaws causing said jaws to normally lie against the tapered surface of said mandrel, whereby downward movement of said mandrel will cause immediate expansion of said jaw on said mandrel. I

2. A tubing catcher including a tubular mandrel, an upwardly flaring shoulderthereon, a downwardly tapered seat below said shoulder, toothed jaws having an inwardly curved upper end engaging said shoulder and held against said face by gravity, said jaws being adapted to move radially outward at both ends when said tubing drops abruptly.

3. A tubing catcher including a tubular I downwardly tapered mandrel having an upwardly flaring shoulder, casing engaging jaws having inwardly hooked lugs at each side thereof engaging said shoulder, the inner surface of each jaw being arcuate and held against said mandrel by gravity, and means holding said jaws together but allowing a uniform radially outward movement at both ends. i

4:. A tubing catcher including a tubular mandrel, an upwardly flaring shoulder there on, a downwardly tapered seat below said shoulder, toothed jaws having an inwardly curved upper end engaging said shoulder and held against said face by gravity, said jaws being adapted to move radially outward at both ends when said tubing drops abruptly, and an upwardly flaring guard below said jaws.

5. A tubing catcher including a tubular downwardly tapered mandrel having an upwardly flaring shoulder at its upper end, casing engaging jaws having inwardly hooked lugs at each side thereof engaging said shoulder, the inner surface of each jaw bein arcuate and held against said mandrel y gravity, means holding said jaws together but allowing a uniform radially outward movement at both ends, and

a plurality of protecting lugs on said mandrel below said jaws limiting the outward movement of said jaws when in normal contracted position.

6-. A tubing catcher comprising a down wardly tapered tubular mandrel, an upwardly flarin shoulder thereon, jaws on said mandrel, hooked lugs on the upper ends of said jaws engaging'said shoulder, and held by gravity inwardly toward said mandrel at both ends, said aws being mounted to expand uniformly outwardl at both ends when said mandrel 1s moved re ativelv down ward.

7. In a tubing catcher a downwardly ta pered mandrel, jaws supported directly on said mandrel and normally held by gravity W jaws to move radia against the same, said jaws being held loosely together at their ufiper ends to allow said y outwardly at both ends equally when said mandrel is moved relatively downward.

8. In a tubing catcher a downwardly ta- .pered mandrel, an upper shoulder thereon,

a plurality of jaws shaped to fit said man- 'drel,.an inwardly hooked lug on each jaw engaging said shoulder, means to normally limit the outward movement of said jawsat their lower ends, and means securing the said jaws together at their upper ends allowing a limited radial movement outwardly when said downwardly.

9. In a tubing catcher, a downwardly tapered mandrel, having an upper shoulder, arcuate pipe engaging jaws, means on said jaws engaging said shoulder so that said 20 jaws hang by gravity against said mandrel, the outer faces of said jaws being grooved deeply at their upper ends, a ring fitting, loosely in said grooves, whereby said jaws ma have a radial movement at both ends. 2

Iii testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature this 14th day of May,A. D. 1926.

' I FRED C. GULDSMITH.

mandrel moves relatively 15 

